Desk construction



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DESK CONSTRUCTION Filed March 7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 w l v I a gardfi'Righ giggn Rich QM M11195;

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I DESK CONSTRUCTION Filed March 7, 193a} 3 Shegts-Shet 2 I V \v nrows adPic ardso Feb. 20, 19 0 a. E. RICHARDSON ET AL DESK CONSTRUCTION FiledMarch 7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 dsow $6 E Richm' c and \J.\r1\\\ we.

Patented Feb. 20, 1940 PATENT, OFFICE DESK CONSTRUCTION Bayard E.

Richardson and Richard W.-Willey, 1 .GrandRapids, Mich.

Application March '1, 1933, ser arno. 194,325

I n 14 Claims. This invention relates to desks and is primarilyconcerned with the production of a very simply constructed, economicallymade; yet exceptionally strong desk structure and one which presents avery pleasing appearance.

An understanding of the invention and the structure embodying thesamemay be hadfrom the following description, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and'2 are perspective views from the front and from the back ofthe-desk, respectively. Fig. 3'is a perspective view illustrating thedesk I pedestals and the manner in which, they areconnected andassembled.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectionon a plane back of the frontedge of the desk.

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through the desk on a planebetween the pedestals;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which a pedestalseparate from the connecting and bridging structure is assembledtherewith, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one form of l cabinet which may beusedin the desk structure atthe rear of the desk well.

5 Like reference characters refer to like parts inthe different figuresof the drawings.

' "I'hedesk' comprises in 'its ordinary form, two spaced apart pedestalswith atop thereover and with a bridging and connecting structure betweenthe pedestals located preferably between J the, front and rear ends ofsaid pedestals. Of

' "course,;;the desk has the usual complement of drawers and" slides inthe pedestals and one between the pedestalsabove the well. Each pedestalincludes'a front post I and a rear post 2 at its outer side "betweenwhich at a distance I, above their'lower ends a-horizontal bar 3 ispermanentlyconnected, while above said bar and between'the posts is aside panel '4, at the inner side of which the usual drawer slides'5 aresecured. A vertical back 6 closes the rear end of each pedestal, saidback at'its front side and adjacent its inner edge having a vertical barI 4 .connected therewith; said bar being glued at 5 are likewisesecured'to the side 8 of the pedestal at the inner-sidethereof directlyopposite the like guides 5 at the inner side of the panel 4.

The inner side member 8 of the pedestalv at 60 its lower portion and adistance in front of its the inner side of -the inner side 8 of thepedestal.

asfully shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Drawer guides rear, edge has arectangular opening ll cut therethrough, from the rear end of whichavertical groove l2 extends'to a rectangular mortise l3 cutin theupper-edge of said side 8; while in direct horizontal alinement with themortise IS a similar mortise M- is cut in the vertical" portion 01 theuppermost drawer'guide 5 at the inner side of each of the end panels 4of each pedestal. The opening II is in front of the groovei2 and themortises l3 and I4 back thereof (see Fig. 6). 'The bridging andconnecting truss memberwhich extends between and is connected to thepedestals and is used to secure and assemblethem together, in structurecomprises an upper flat bar l5, a lower flat bar l6' of substantiallyidentical structure as the bar I5, and a vertical panel I! which may beof veneer andis relatively thin, in practive having a thicknessdimension of approximately one quarter of an inch. The panel I! Y hasa'length equal to the distance-apart that the inner sides" of thepedestals arev to -,be spaced.

At its upper edge it is secured ,to' the front edge of the upper bar andatits lower. edge to the rear edge of the lower bar IS. A covering stripportions of the bar Hipass through the rectangular openings H- in thesides 8 and the similar portions of the upper bar. l5 passthrough themortises 13. The pedestals are moved toward the panel 11 until thevertical edges thereof are received in the grooves 12, whereupon theends of the bars. l5 enterthe mortises I4 and lie above the uppermostdrawer guides 5 .at 'the inner sides of the endpanels 4, and the ends ofthe bars l6 lie above the bottom bars or-rails 3 of the pedestals. ,Sandbars l5 and lB may be very securely connected with saiddrawerguides and'rails by screws or other suitable fastenings. Likewise, the bars may beconnected with the drawer guides 5 carried by the inner sides 8 ofthepedestals- This'assembles the pedestals with -the bridging andconnecting truss as shown in Fig. 3, with the panel I1 forming the rearside of'the well between the pedestals, and with the bar l6 ex tendingforwardly from .the lower edges of the panel I! between the pedestals.Itis evident that the usual sliding drawers I9 may be put .in thepedestals at their open front sides and will go between the end portionsof the bars I5 and [6. A drawer support and guide may also be attachedat the inner side of each of the side's8 of the pedestals in front ofthe panel I! (Fig. 5) for carrying the welldrawerZliFig. 1") and desk slides '2'2at the upper end of each pedestal may be carried by the upperguides 5 underneath the top 23' and in front of the end portions of theupper bar IS. A top 23 covers the upper ends of the pedestals and thewell por tion oi the desk in the usual manner and may be secured inaccordance with conventional practice.

The desk as thus constructed has a space underneath the top back of thepanel I! wherein a cabinet may be placed if desired. In Fig. 7 I

one type of cabinet is shown having vertical ends 24, a bottom 25, a top26 and a pigeon-hole compartment; structure 21 within the space enclosedby the frame provided by said ends, top and bottom. The upper member 26is narrower in width than the bottom 25 by a distance equalsubstantially to the width of the bar I5 which extends rearwardly fromthe panel ll, so that when the cabinet is located underneath the rearportion of the top between the pedestals, theiront edge of the uppermember 26 comes against the rear edge of the bar l5, as in Fig. 5. Thecabinet is preferably suspended from the top 23, as shown in Fig. 5, butof course is not necessarily subject to this one single means of supportor connection. The cabinet as to its interior structure may take manyforms, it may include drawers, have doors to close its rear side, orotherwise. The desk without such cabinet is a complete and finishedarticle and the cabinet may be used or. it may be not, as may bedesired.

The desk structure described is of a particularly economicalconstruction, the advantages of simplicity in structure and in assemblyare evident. The bridging and connecting truss between the pedestals andlocated asit is between the front and rear ends of said pedestalsprovides a very strong structure and one which is capable of sustainingvery long and eflective use.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

We claim:

1. In a desk structure,'twc spaced apart desk pedestals, and connectingsupporting bars, one above the other, said bars being located in frontof the rear ends 01' said pedestals and extending between the pedestalsand secured at their ends to the outer sides thereof.

2. In a desk, two spaced apart desk pedestals, and upper and lower barsextending between the pedestals and through the inner sides of saidpedestals and having connection to said pedestals at their ends andbetween their ends at the inner sides of the pedestals.

3. In a desk, spaced apart desk pedestals adapted to receive drawers,and connecting bars, one located at the upper portion of the pedestalsand extending between the same and to the outer sides of each 01 saidpedestals, and the other being located at the lower part of thepedestals and extending through the inner sides and.

substantially to the outer sides 01' said pedestals and permanentlysecured to said pedestals at their outer ends and at the inner sides ofthe pedestals.

4. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 3, said bars being located between the front and rear ends of saidpedestals.

5. In a desk structure, two spaced apart desk pedestals each adapted toreceive drawers and to have a top applied thereto over said pedestalsand over the space between them, a bar located immediately underneaththe top and extending from the outer side of one pedestal to the outerside of the other, the inner sides of, the pedestals being recessed forreception of said bar, a second bar located below the first barextending through the inner sides of the pedestals and at its endsextending to the outer sides of said pedestals and means securing saidbars to the pedestals, said bars being located in front of the rear endsof said pedestals.

6. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 5, the inner sides ofeach of said pedestals beingverticallygrooved,

and a panel having its vertical edges received in said grooves andextending between said upper and lower bars and secured thereto at itsupper and lower edges, respectively.

7. In a desk, a pedestal, upper and lower bars extending from the outerside of said pedestal and through the inner side of the pedestal andbeyond the same, said bars being located in front of the rear end of thepedestal, said pedestal being adapted to receive drawers slidablyinserted therein at its front end,'the rear portions of the drawers attheir inner position being below the upper bar and above the lower bar,and a top covering the upper side of said pedestal and extendinglaterally over said bars, as specified.

8. In a desk, spaced apart desk pedestals having open ends into whichdrawers are adapted to be slidably received, vertically spaced bracingmeans extending between the inner sides of the pedestals and throughsaid inner sides substantially to the outer sides thereof and havingconnection to said inner and outer sides of the pedestals, and a topcovering the upper ends of the pedestals and the space between.

9. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 8, said bracing means being located a distance in front of therear ends of said pedestals.

10. A construction containing the elements in combination defined inclaim 8, said bracing means being located a distance forwardly of therear ends of the pedestals and including a substantially vertical panelextending between the inner sides of said pedestals.

11. A desk comprising two spaced apart pedestals, a top covering saidpedestals and the space between them, spaced. bracing means extendingbetween said pedestals, a vertical panel extending across the spacebetween said pedestals and between saidbracing means only and locatedinwardly from the back sides of said pedestals, and a cupboard structurelocated in the rear of said vertical panel betweensaid pedestalsandbeneath said top.

12. The elements in combination defined in claim 11 in which saidcupboard structure is secured to and suspended from the underside ofsaid top.

13. The elements in combination defined in claim 11 in which said panelconstitutes the inner closure of said cupboard structure.

14. A desk construction comprising, spaced apart pedestals, bracingmeans extending between the inner sides of the pedestals and throughsaid inner sides substantially to the outer sides thereof, a topcovering the upper ends of said pedestals and the space between, and apartition extending between the pedestals spaced forwardly from the rearends thereof to provide shelf space.

. BAYARD E. RICHARDSON.

RICHARD W. WILLEY.

